Where Can You Find Maternity Hiking Clothes?
There are several articles on the internet about how it’s hard to find maternity hiking clothes. In my second trimester, when I got my energy back, and my belly was expanding to the point that I no longer fit into most of my hiking clothes, I faced the same dilemma – where can I buy maternity hiking clothes, and which ones should I pick?
The purpose of this post is to help other expecting moms to sort through the options out there in order to decide what works best for their circumstances.
*This post contains a few Amazon affiliate links, which means we may receive a commission if you click a link and purchase something that is linked to Amazon.*
Hiking-specific Maternity Activewear
There are a few brands that offer hiking-specific maternity hiking clothes.
1) Mountain Mama
Mountain Mama is focused on offering maternity hiking clothes. They have activewear shirts, hiking pants (both full length and capris), fleece pants for winter, and base layers. This is likely the best company for all-around maternity hiking wear offerings.
Reasonably priced with great sale prices.
2) Mother and Nature
UK-based brand Mother and Nature has a limited number of products, but is also focused on offering maternity hiking clothes.
The hiking pants by this brand are recommended by blogger She Explores.
Reasonably priced.
3) Make My Belly Fit
This brand sells jacket extenders to adapt the jacket you already own to your growing belly in winter.
Pricey, but it may be worth it if you do a lot of activities in the cold/snow.
4) Arctic Lynx
Arctic Lynx specializes in base layers for pregnant women.
Pricey, but it may be worth it if you do a lot of activities in the cold/snow.
General Maternity Activewear
When it comes to more general maternity activewear, there are many more options. General maternity activewear leans toward using leggings and stretchy tops – the kind of clothes you’d wear to the gym.
I list nursing bras down below because I’ve read they can be great during pregnancy as well as when you’re nursing. As long as you’re likely sizing up during pregnancy, why not get something that will also be useful postpartum?
1) Senita Mom
Senita Mom offers a variety of maternity activewear, including – leggings, jogging pants, shorts, tops, nursing bras, and swimwear.
Reasonably priced.
2) Blanqi SportSupport
Blanqi has a variety of maternity clothing and a specific line for activewear called SportSupport. They have leggings and tops.
A friend of mine recommended this brand for maternity needs.
A bit pricey, but sometimes they have a good sale.
3) Gap
Gap has a range of options for maternity activewear, including – leggings, shorts, joggers, tops, and nursing bras.
Reasonably priced to somewhat pricey.
4) Old Navy
Old Navy also has a range of options for maternity activewear, including – leggings, tops, sweaters, and vests.
Reasonably priced.
5) Nike
Nike recently released a new line specifically designed for maternity, which includes leggings, tops, and nursing bras.
On the expensive side, but Nike tends to have high-quality activewear in my experience.
6) Motherhood Maternity
Motherhood Maternity has a variety of maternity clothing, including activewear such as leggings and tops.
Reasonably priced.
7) Target
Target does not have a specific page that lists all of their maternity-friendly activewear, but they do have several options –
- Maternity Activewear Leggings
- Maternity/Nursing Sports Bras (search results include non-sports bras too)
- Maternity Sports Tops (search results include non-sports tops too)
Maternity wear from Target tends to be reasonably priced.
8) Walmart
Walmart has a range of maternity activewear, including – leggings, capris, shorts, shirts, tank tops, hoodies, and sports bras.
Reasonably priced.
9) REI
REI mainly sells yoga clothing for pregnancy. They list a handful of products.
Listed items are pricey.
10) Title Nine
While Title Nine doesn’t have any maternity-specific clothing, they do have options for nursing bras.
11) Amazon
Of course, if you search on Amazon, you can also find a variety of brands and types of maternity clothing.
- Maternity Activewear Leggings (search results include non-maternity leggings too)
- Maternity Activewear Tops
- Sports Nursing Bras
When you search on Amazon, not every result is relevant for pregnancy. There are a lot of options from different brands. This can be good or overwhelming to choose from.
Regular Activewear Leggings/Pants that Can Suffice
I’m sure there are plenty of regular activewear leggings or pants out there that can be used during pregnancy if you size up, but I’m only going to list a few. I asked my friends in the Boulder Hiker Chicks for recommendations on hiking-friendly leggings in particular for myself, and received the following options as recommendations (thank you, ladies!). I thought I’d share what they recommended to help other women who are looking for good options.
The plus-side of using regular activewear, even if it is a size up, is that it may be easy to use postpartum as well.
These are high-waisted leggings made with “Nulu, a buttery-soft, lightweight fabric”.
Pricey.
2) CRZ Yoga High Waisted Leggings
I saw an article that said these leggings are meant to be similar to the Lululemon Align collection. One main difference is that they are a fourth of the price.
Reasonably priced.
3) Valandy High Waisted Leggings
These come in 2 options – one-size-fits-all and plus-size. I like the idea of a one-size-fits-all because you know that it will continue to fit you throughout your pregnancy, and you can also wear them after giving birth.
I would have purchased these, but some reviews noted they are a bit thin. I wanted leggings that I could continue to use through the winter. However, it sounds like they’d be great for casual short hikes or walking around the neighborhood.
Reasonably priced.
Other Ideas
If you are on a budget, or like to search for used clothes in order to be eco-friendly, there are a few more options for places to go.
You can check out –
- Poshmark
- eBay
- Charity stores
- Sports clothes re-sale shops. When I went to my local store – Boulder Sports Recycler – they said they only rarely get maternity-specific sports clothes, but if you are going the route of just getting sized up activewear for cheaper, this type of store could be a good option.
Other options –
- Use your husband’s clothes
- If you have to buy new clothes, buy clothes in your husband’s size so he can use it after your pregnancy
Activewear I Used During Pregnancy
Summer Pregnancy Activewear
Top
Uniqlo AIRism Racerback Sleeveless Bra Top
This bra top is not particularly meant for pregnant women. It has a built-in bra and can be used for light sports. AIRism by Uniqlo “keeps you dry as it wicks moisture, releases heat, and absorbs sweat while maintaining a smooth feel all day.”
I’m normally a size S at Uniqlo, but purchased these in size M.
Uniqlo AIRsm Relax Wireless Bra
(Not pictured) Uses the same material as the above bra top. Similar to the bra top, I bought a size up from my pre-pregnancy size.
Instead of using the bra top, I sometimes paired this bra with one of my usual sports tank tops, which were stretchy enough to still fit throughout my pregnancy.
Columbia Silver Ridge Lite Shirt – Women’s
(Not pictured) I got this long-sleeve shirt before I became pregnant to use during the summers for UV protection without the hassle of spreading sunscreen over my arms. These shirts are quite loose, so there’s been no trouble using it during pregnancy as well.
Bottom
Old Navy Maternity Full-Panel Elevate Compression Crops
A fellow Boulder Hiker Chicks member gave me 2 pairs of these as hand-me-downs. They’ve been working well. I’m usually a size S and she gave me size M pants. They fit perfectly throughout my pregnancy. I always used them when doing prenatal yoga as well.
Autumn Pregnancy Activewear
In autumn my activewear clothes were the same as in summer, but I layered a baselayer or long-sleeved shirt on top. If it was really cold, I’d add my Patagonia Nano Puff Jacket. My pre-pregnancy baselayer tops and my puff jacket still fit through the beginning of the third trimester.
Winter Pregnancy Activewear
Top
In the winter I continued to use the Uniqlo AIRism bra top or bra and normal sports tank tops as my first layer, followed by my usual Patagonia baselayer top. The baselayer top got a little short stretching over my belly, but was still usable.
Unfortunately, my usual size XS Patagonia Nano Puff Jacket became too tight during the third trimester. As a solution, I started using my husband’s North Face Thermoball Puff Jacket in a size Medium.
We came to the conclusion that if we needed to buy any new winter clothes for hiking on top, we would buy my husband’s size and that way he could continue using them after I give birth.
Bottom
Old Navy Maternity Full-Panel Elevate Compression Leggings
The same Boulder Hiker Chicks member who gave me 2 pairs of cropped leggings also generously gave me a pair of these leggings in a size M. They had a bit of a looser fit than the cropped leggings in my second trimester, but were perfect in my third trimester.
To Conclude
Although I originally set out to buy hiking-specific maternity activewear, I decided to go the route of using general maternity activewear and up-sized regular activewear for my hiking activities while pregnant.
The reasons why I picked these options –
- During pregnancy I had reduced stamina and could only hike up to 4 miles, a couple times a week maximum. It seemed a bit excessive for me to splurge on hiking-specific maternity activewear.
- General maternity activewear is also easily used for prenatal yoga.
- There are so many more options to choose from if you buy general maternity activewear or up-sized regular activewear.
- By using clothes sized for my husband, he can continue using those pieces after I’m pregnant.
I do think that it is important to find good options for you so that you can continue to feel comfortable while also being active during pregnancy. I hope that this post can help other expecting moms to sort through the options out there in order to decide what works best for their circumstances.
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As a reader, if you have any other recommendations for pregnancy hiking clothes or activewear, please share with a comment!